Alistair Darling aims to improve pupils' GSCE grades
Schools get £200m
By Rebecca and Madalen
More money will be given to struggling schools in England, according to the 2008 budget. Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the issuer of the budget, said that struggling schools would be given £200m to help pupils get better GCSE grades especially in Maths, English and Science.
Recent investigations show that more than 638 schools are getting disappointing results, with less than 30% of students achieving 5 good GCSE results.
The programme is called the “National Challenge” and the money allocated will help under-achieving schools improve. It will include: sending experts and support to assist head teachers with improving results in English and Maths, partnership arrangements between schools, converting low performing schools into academies and closing schools.
The Chancellor is not only concentrating on English and Maths, he has also declared that £10m will go to improving science results over the next 5 years and the Wellcome Trust and the Private Sector will donate £30m.
Michael Gove, the Shadow Children’s Secretary, is not satisfied with the proposal and says that the government is misleading the public. He stated that £160m of the £200m had been announced already last year so in effect they are only giving another £40m.
However, an extra £60m has been provided for the next three years into creating new opportunities for people to gain new workplace skills. This will help them to stay in jobs and progress in their careers.
General secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Steve Sinnott, commented to the BBC that he would like Darling to ‘commit himself to Gordon Brown’s pledge to raise spending on state education to private school levels.’
The National Challenge programme will be set out in May and local authorities will be expected to draw up action plans for underperforming schools in the summer.
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